District



Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETSQSHEET I.

R. 'CHOATE. v FOLDING CAMP $1001.

- APPL1CAT|0N FILED JULY 25, l9l9.

merited Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RUFUS GHOA'IE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA;

FOLDING CAMP-STOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed July 25, 1919. Serial No. 313,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUrUs CI-IoATE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Folding Camp-Stools; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to folding stools and more particularly to a campstool adapted to be folded into compact form for economy of space andconvenience in carrying it from place to place, and also adapted whenfolded to support a table top and serve as a table on which eatables andother articles may be placed.

The object of the inventlon is to provide an improved folding stool andtable top support adapting the device to be used as a stool or table,and to be folded in u1nbrella-like form for storage or transportation orconvenience in carrying it about for use on picnics and similaroccasions.

The invention will first be hereinafter more fully described, withreference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a partof this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end ofthe description.

Tn said drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a folding stool embodyingmy invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, partly in section; Fig.3 is a side elevation showing the hinged seat-members in raised verticalposition to adapt them to serve as table legs; Fig. A is a verticallongitudinal sectional elevation of the stool folded for storage ortransportation; Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary detail views illustratingthe means employed for holding the canvas seat in a fixed position onthe olded seat members of the stool; Fig. 7 is a detail cross sectiontaken on the line 77 of Fig. l; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail viewshowing the adjacent parts of the legs of the stool and their hingedextensions in different positions.

Referring to said drawings, in which the same reference letters are usedto denote corresponding parts in different views, the letters A, A,denote the outer upright members or legs of the stool, which may be 7formed of wood or metal, and B a centrally disposed supporting member onwhich are placed a sliding collar or ferrule, C, and upper and lowerfixed collars C and C To the collar C is pivoted the inner ends ofdiagonal braces D, and to the collars C and C are hinged or pivoted theinner ends of horizontal braces D and D respectively. The outer ends ofthese braces are hinged or pivoted to the legs A, A, as shown, therebeing a diagonal brace and a horizontal brace for each leg, so arrangedthat when the legs are spread apart they will be held in parallelrelation and kept at the proper distance from the centralsupport by thehorizontal braces and further sustained in the desired position by thediagonal braces. The outer ends of said braces may be hinged to legs Aby any suitable means, or to brackets on the legs A, by means of pivotbolts passing through eyes or loops on the ends of the bracesregistering with eyes in said brackets, or formed integrally with thelegs, while their inner ends are similarly .hinged to the center leg,being preferably provided with eyes of hook-like form for engagementwith rings 0, c and 0 car ried by the collars C, C and C so as to adaptthe braces to swing downwardly and permit a sliding movement of thecollar C on the central leg or support, or upward "movement of thelatter through said collar,

to bring the parts into the position shown in Fig. A. The legs A, A, areeach provided with a hinged extension A adapted to be turned down to theposition shown in i Fig. 1, to form a seat or support for a superposedcanvas or other seat E, and when turned up into the position shown inFig. 3, to serve as supports or legs for a table top F, thus convertingthe stool into a table. In the latter position the members A may beprevented from swinging outwardly out of the plane of the members A by astop on the hinge oint, or by contact of the ends thereof with theadjacent ends of the uprights A, as shown more clearly in Fig 8. Thefree ends of the seat members are preferably beveled, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 2, to adapt them to fit snugly together and preventoverlapping or forming a gap at the intersection of said members, whenturned down into a horizontal position, and thus form a comforta bleseat, but for greater ease and comfort, I preferably provide adetachable seat G consisting of an endless band of canvas or othersuitable material fitting around triangular end pieces H adapted to restupon the seat members A when in a horizontal position and support thecanvas thereon. These end pieces may consist of three or more flat metalstrips h, 72, and if, hinged together 1 at their meeting edges with thestrip 15 serving as a base for the strips in and h which are arranged inpyramid-like form with the lower edge of the strip 7L1 engaging amarginal flange or upturned edge of the strip whereby the several stripsare'held in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5. .To prevent the crosspieces from being drawn together or toward each other by the weight of aperson seated on the canvas, each cross-piece is provided at each endwith a pendant lug or projection h? (Figs. 5 and 6) which engages orcontacts with the outer end of the seat member at its junction with anupright member or leg so as to prevent inward movement of thecross-pieces.

It will be understood, of course, that various changes may be made inthe form of the supporting members or legs and associated parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I therefore donot desire to be limited to the specific construction and arrangementshown. For example, while the supporting members or legs are preferablyflat strips of wood or metal, adapted when folded to form a device ofbox-like shape, square in cross-section, con- 35' cave strips may beused so as to form a round body. The braces connecting the legs areperferably formed of strips of steel, though wood or other material maybe used.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. Afolding stool comprising center and outer legs with connecting braceshinged thereto, said outer legs having on their upper ends hingedmembers adapted to be turned to a horizontal position and together forma seat.

2. A folding stool comprising center and outer legs with connectingbraces hinged thereto, said outerlegs having on their upper ends hingedmembers adapted to be turned to a horizontal position and together forma seat, and a detachable seat consisting of spaced cross-pieces restingon said hinged members and having means thereon for holdingthemapart,together with an endless band passing around and connecting saidcross-pieces, the latter beingformed of flat strips hinged together andsupported in triangular form. n

3. A folding camp stool comprising outer upright bars or legs and acenter-piece or support parallel with said legs and having aslidingsleeve thereon, near its upper end, horizontal braces above and belowsaid sleeve, each pivoted at one end to said cellter-piece and at itsouter end to one of said legs, and diagonal braces pivoted at theirinner ends to said sliding sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom andeach having its outer end pivoted to one of said legs; said legs havingextensions hinged to their upper ends and adapted to fold over the topthereof and form a seat.

4:. A folding camp stool comprising outer upright bars or legs and acenter-piece or support parallel therewith; said legs having hingedextensions on their upper ends adapted to fold back over the top thereofto form a seat, horizontal braces hinged to and connecting said legs andcenter-piece so as to hold them apart while permitting the legs to bebrought into juxtaposition, a sliding sleeve on said center-piece, anddiagonal braces having their inner ends pivoted to said sleeve andextending downwardly therefrom and each pivoted at its outer end to oneof said legs.

5. A folding camp stool comprising outer upright bars or legs, acenter-piece or support parallel with said legs and havin sliding sleevethereon near its upper end, diagonal braces having their inner endspivoted to said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom and eachpivoted at its outer end to one of said legs, and horizontal braceshinged to and connecting said centerpiece and legs; said legs havingextensions hinged thereto at their upper ends; said extensions beingadapted to swing back with their inner ends resting on said center-pieceand together forming a seat.

. 6. A folding camp stool comprising outer upright bars or legs. acenter-piece parallel with said legs and having a sliding sleevethereon, near its upper end, diagonal braces having their inner endspivoted to said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom and eachpivoted at its outer end to one of said legs, horizontal braces hingedto and connecting said center-piece and legs above and below saiddiagonal braces; said legs having extensions hinged thereto at theirupper ends and adapted to swing back over the top with their inner endsresting on said center-piece and together forming a seat, and adetachable seat consisting of canvas or fabric extending aroundcross-pieces resting on said extensions of said legs and having meansthereon to prevent movement of said cross-pieces toward each other.

7. A folding camp stool and table top support, comprising outer uprightbars or legs, a centerpiece parallel with said legs and having a slidingsleeve thereon, diagonal braces having their inner ends pivoted to saidsleeve and extending downwardly therefrom and each having its outer endpivoted to one of said legs, and horizontal braces each having its outerend pivoted to one of said legs and its inner end pivoted to saidcenter-bar; said legs each having an extension hinged thereto at itsupper end; said extensions being adapted when in upright position tosupport a table top and to be turned down into a horizontal position toform a seat.

8. A folding stool. and table top support comprising outer upright barsor legs each provided at its upper end with a hinged extension, acenter-piece parallel with said legs and connected thereto by horizontalhinged braces, said center-piece having a sliding sleeve thereon, andbraces hinged at one end thereofto said sleeve and extending downwardlytherefrom and each having its outer end hinged to one of said legs; saidlegs having extensions hinged thereto at their upper ends and adapted inupright position to support a table top and to be turned to a horizontalposition to form a seat; said braces being adapted to permit said legswith their extensions to be folded into oblong box-like form with saidcenter piece and braces inclosed therein.

9. A folding stool comprising center and outer legs with connectingbraces hinged thereto; said outer legs having on their upper ends hingedmembers or extensions adapted to be turned to a horizontal. positionwith their inner ends resting on the upper end of said center leg whenthe legs are spread apart to form a seat; the inner ends of said bracesbeing connected to a member slidably secured on said center piece,whereby the stool may be folded into oblong box-like form with said legsand their extensions inclosing said center piece and braces.

10. A folding stool, comprising center and outer legs with connectingbraces hinged thereto, said outer legs having on their iipper endshinged members adapted to be turned to a horizontal position with theirinner ends resting on the upper end of said center leg to form a seatsupport, and a seat consisting of flexible material connectingcross-pieces adapted to rest on said support and provided with means toprevent movement thereof toward each other.

11. A folding stool. and table top support comprising center and outerlegs with connecting braces hinged thereto, said outer legs having ontheir upper ends hinged members adapted in upright position to support atable top and to be turned to a horizontal position to form a seat.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RUFUS CI-IOATE.

